A strong growth in services and the 475 rotorcraft delivered last year generated a new turnover high of 6.3 billion euros – 15 percent more than in 2011, when the Group reached a previous record of 5.4 billion euros. This means a cumulated average growth rate of nine percent since 2006.

Sales were paced by the Ecureuil/Fennec/EC130 family with 249 bookings and the EC135/EC145 families with 144 bookings; (63 x EC135, 81 x EC145) while the Super Puma family remained strong last year with 37 orders., backed by significant bookings from the oil and gas sector. There were 19 orders for the EC175, 11 for the Dauphin/Panther/EC155 family and 9 for the EC120 Colibri.

Helicopter deliveries represented 49 percent of Eurocopter’s 2012 consolidated turnover, while services continued to play an increasing role by accounting for 42 percent of the total. Other activities represented the remaining nine percent. Eurocopter’s services activity now accounts for 47 percent of the total bookings, thus paving the way for future growth of this business.

In the military sector, 2012 highlights involved Eurocopter’s delivery of the initial NH90 TTH Tactical Transport Helicopter qualified in the Final Operational Configuration, received by the French and Belgian Armies; and the first final-configuration “Step B” version of the NH90 NFH NATO Fregat Helicopter, delivered to the Netherlands and the French Navy.

Four German Army Tiger support helicopters were deployed to Afghanistan in the ASGARD (Afghanistan Stabilization German Army Rapid Deployment) version, and Germany received an on-time delivery of the NH90 TTH in its medical evacuation configuration for deployment in Afghanistan in 2013; while five Italian Army Aviation NH90 TTHs were positioned in Afghanistan during 2012.

Eurocopter’s focus in the coming year will be on program execution, with the company mastering its continued production ramp-up as deliveries are to increase by more than 15 percent in 2013. Goals include sustaining the delivery pace for Super Puma, Ecureuil, NH90 and Tiger helicopters, as well as preparing the EC175’s ramp-up. As optimization is a priority for Eurocopter in 2013, the emphasis will be on lean products, lean processes, lean culture and lean foundation.

The advanced vertical-lift solutions also are 2013 priorities, as Eurocopter pursues concept validation and launch of the product application for its X3 hybrid aircraft; and advances the X4’s development as the first member in its next-generation family concept, to be followed by the X6 and X9 at less than two-year intervals for each.